NHL 100 Greatest Players

Does Teemu Selanne Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

In this episode, we ask where does Teemu Selanne rank among NHL Right Wings and among Finnish hockey players?

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Does Jaromir Jagr Belong in the Hockey Hall of Fame?

In this episode of The Back Check, we debate whether or not Jaromir Jagr is one of the greatest Right Wings in the history of the NHL.

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Milt Schmidt

Milt Schmidt’s Career

NHL: 1936-42, 1945-55; 16 seasons, 14 quality
Totals:
- 229G (14th All Time at his retirement),
- 346A (3rd) for
- 575P (4th) in
- 776 games (2nd),
- 63.3 PS (22nd)
- At his retirement, Schmidt was 13th All time in OPS
Per game: At his retirement, Schmidt was
- 25th All Time in GPG
- 7th in APG (out of 8 qualifying players)
- 13th in PPG (out of 13 qualifying players)
Era: Of the 6 players to play it at least 700 games between 1936 and 1955, Schmidt is
- 3rd in Goals, GPG, PPG and PS,
- 1st in Assists, APG and Games,
- 2nd in Points and OPS
82-game average: 25G, 37A for 61P
3-year peak (1939-42): 48-game average of 18G, 28A for 46P
Playoffs:
- 24G,
- 25A for
- 49P in 86 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 305G, 540A for 845P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 32G, 57A for 89P
  - Schmidt is not on any PG leader-boards
- VsX:
  - 423G
  - 782A
  - 1,030P
  - Schmidt is 18th All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
Never traded.

Milt Schmidt’s Accomplishments

Hart (’51)
Top 5 in Hart voting a further four times (’40, ’47, ’50, ’52)
Back Check Best Player (’40)
Back Check MVP (’40)
Top Player:
- Top 5 Player (by Point Shares) once (’40),
- Top 10 twice (’47)
- Best Offensive Player (by Offensive Point Shares) once (’40),
- Top 5 thrice (’47, ’51)
Goals:
- Leader-boards:
  - Top 5 in Goals once,
  - Top 10 three times
- GPG leader-boards:
  - Top 5 in GPG once,
  - Top 10 four times
- Single-season totals:
  - 25 goals once, 20
  - goals four times
Assists:
- Leader-boards:
  - Led the league in Assists once,
  - Top 5 four times
- APG leader-boards:
  - Led the league in APG once,
  - Top 5 four times
Points:
- Leader-boards:
  - Led the league in Points once,
  - Top 5 thrice,
  - Top 10 five times
- PPG leader-boards:
  - Top 5 in PPG thrice,
  - Top 10 five times
- Single-season totals:
  - 60 points twice (1 of only 12 players to do so at his retirement)
  - 50 points four times (1 of only 13 players at his retirement)
All Star:
- 1st Team All Star thrice,
- 2nd Team once
- 4 All Star Games
VsX:
- Best 7 Seasons:
  - Goals: 123rd All Time
  - Assists: 43rd All Time
  - Points: 56th All Time
- Best 10 Seasons:
  - Goals: 113th All Time
  - Assists: 51st All Time
  - Points: 68th All Time

Great Teams

NHL:
- Best Player (by points) on one Runner Up (’46 Bruins) and two Final Fours (’47, ’48 Bruins),
- Best Skater (led playoffs in points) on one Champion (’41 Bruins),
- Top 6 Forward (by points) on one Champion (’39 Bruins), one Runner Up (’53 Bruins) and three Final Fours (’49, ’52, ’54 Bruins),
- Top 9 Forward (by points) on one Final Four (’51 Bruins),
- Role Player (by points) on two Final Fours (’38, ’40 Bruins)
Senior:
- Best Player (by points) on one Allan Cup Champion (’42 RCAF Flyers)

Schmidt didn’t deserve his Hart the one year he won it, but might have deserved it another year. And he wasn’t as offensively dominant as long as some of the greats of his era. And, despite some strong playoffs, he also had many weak playoffs. But I can’t shake the feeling he belongs.

Max Bentley

Max Bentley’s Career

NHL: 1940-43; 1945-54; 12 seasons, 11 quality
Totals:
- 245G (7th All Time at his retirement),
- 299A (5th) for
- 544P (5th) in
- 646 games (14th),
- 56.6 PS
- At his retirement, Bentley was 19th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
Per Game: At his retirement, Bentley was
- 10th All time in GPG, and
- 9th in APG and GPG
Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, Bentley is
- 3rd in Goals, GPG and Points,
- 2nd in Assists and APG,
- 4th in PPG and OPS,
- 6th in PS and
- 5th in Games
82-game average: 31G, 38A for 69P
3-year peak (1942-47): 50-game average of 28G, 38A for 67P
Playoffs: 18G, 27A for 45P in 51 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey Reference:
  - 298G, 436A for 734P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 38G, 55A for 93P
  - Per Game: Not in the Top 25
  - VsX:
    - 417G
    - 622A
    - 876P
    - Per Game:
      - 23rd All Time in VsX Adjusted APG
      - 23rd All Time in VsX Adjusted PPG
Trades:
- Traded at 27 with Cy Thomas (21) to Toronto for Gus Bodnar (24), Bud Poile (23), Gaye Stewart (24), Ernie Dickens (26) and Bob Goldham (25) – our 31st worst Maple Leafs Trade of All Time, sort of
- Traded at 33 for cash

Patrick Kane

Because Kane is active, this post may not be up to date during the season.

Elmer Lach

Elmer Lach’s Career

NHL: 1940-54; 14 seasons, 12 quality
Totals:
- 215G (20th All Time at his retirement),
- 408A (1st – Lach held the career lead in assists from 1951-52 until 1957-58) for
- 623P (2nd – Lach held the career lead in points from 1951-52 until 1953-54) in
- 664 games (8th);
- 61.1 PS (24th)
Per Game: At his retirement, Lach was
- 23rd All Time in GPG,
- 2nd in APG (only 4 qualifying players…) and
- 5th in PPG
At his retirement, Lach was 15th All Time in Offensive Point Shares
Era: Of the 10 players to play in at least 600 games between 1940 and 1954, as only 3 players played in 650 games, Lach is
- 5th in Goals and GPG,
- 1st in Assists and APG,
- 2nd in Points, PPG and Games,
- 3rd in OPS,
- 4th in PS
82-game average: 26G, 50A for 77P
3-year peak (1942-45): 50-game average of 24G, 50A for 73P
Playoffs:
- 19G,
- 45A (Lach held the career record for playoff assists from 1952 until 1957)
- 64P in
- 76 games;
- Lach held the career record for playoff APG, among all qualifying players, from 1946 until 1952.
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 248G, 568A 816P
  - Adjusted 82-game: 31G, 70A for 101P
  - Per Game: Lach is
    - 8th All Time in Adjusted APG and
    - 16th in Adjusted PPG
- VsX:
  - 351G, 804A, 930P [Stats calculated separately, relative to others, so they don’t add up]
  - Per Game: Lach is
    - 7th All Time in APG
    - 21st All Time in PPG
Never traded.

Is Maurice Richard the Greatest Goal Scorer of All Time?

Career

NHL: 1942-60; 18 seasons, 16 quality
Totals:
- 544G (1st All Time at his retirement[1. The career record holder until 1963]),
- 421A (3rd) for
- 965P (2nd[2. Richard was the NHL’s career leader in points from 1953-54 until 1959-60]) in 9
- 78 games (2nd);
- 125.3 PS (2nd)
Richard is 13th All Time in GPG[3. At his retirement he was 12th – minimum 500 games] and, at his retirement, he was 19th in PPG[4. Minimum 500 games and also he was 1st All Time briefly during the 1951-52 season]
At his retirement, Richard was 2nd All Time in Offensive Point Shares[5. Richard was the career leader in Offensive Point Shares from the 1956-57 season to the next season]
Era: Richard is 1st in Goals, GPG, Points, PPG, OPS, PS and Games, 3rd in Assists and APG[6. Of the 5 players to play in at least 850 games between 1942 and 1960, as only two players played 950 games and only three played in 900 games during that span]
82-game average: 46G, 35A for 81P
3-year peak (1943-46): 50-game average of 37G, 23A for 60P
Playoffs:
- 82G (8th All Time),[7. Richard held the career record in playoff goals from 1947 until 1986]
- 44A for
- 126P[8. Richard held the career record in playoff points from 1951 until 1964] in
- 133 games
- Richard is currently 4th All Time in playoff GPG[9. Richard held the career playoff GPG record from 1946 until 1956 and again from 1957 until 1981][10. Richard held the career playoff PPG record from 1949 until 1952]
Adjusted:
- Hockey Reference:
  - 653G (9th All Time), 576A for 1229P (25th)
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 55G, 48A for 103P
  - If the qualifier is set at 500 games, Richard is 24th All Time in Adjusted PPG[11. If the qualifier is set to 750 games, Richard is 4th All Time]
- VsX:
Never traded.

Alexander Ovechkin

Note: Ovechkin is currently active so this post may not reflect the current hockey season.

Eddie Shore

Career

NHL: 1926-40; 14 seasons, 11 quality[1. By Defensive Point Shares]
Totals:
- 105G,
- 179A (7th All Time at his retirement) for
- 284P (21st) in
- 550 Games (13th),
- 51.4 PS (4th)
At his retirement, Shore was 21st in GPG, 4th in APG and 12th in PPG[2. Minimum 500 games – 25 qualifying players]
At his retirement, Shore was 10th All Time in Offensive Point Shares and 3rd in Defensive Point Shares
Era: Shore is 8th in Goals, GPG and Points, 3rd in Assists, 1st in APG and DPS,[3. Ahead by over 17 DPS] 6th in PPG, 5th in OPS, 2nd in PS and 10th in Games[4. Of the 10 skaters to play in at least 550 games between 1926 and 1940]
82-game average: 16G, 27A for 43P
3-year peak (1928-31): 44-game average of 14G, 15A for 28P
Playoffs: 7G, 12A for 19P in 55 games
Adjusted:
- Hockey-Reference:
  - 196G, 525A for 721P
  - Adjusted 82-game average: 29G, 78A for 107P
  - Per game: Shore is 18th All Time in Adjusted PPG if the requirement is set at 500 games
- VsX:
Traded once in the NHL at the end of his career.

Francis King Clancy

King Clancy’s Career

NHL: 1921-37; 16 seasons, 15 quality
Totals:
- 136G (23rd All Time at his retirement),
- 147A (7th) for
- 283P (13th) in
- 592 games (2nd – Clancy was the career leader in Games Played from the 1934-35 season to the next season);
- 104. 3 PS (1st)
Clancy was 10th All Time in GPG, 8th in APG and 10th in PPG at his retirement (if the qualifier is set to 500 games, 15 qualifying players, as Clancy doesn’t qualify for the leaderboards)
At his retirement, Clancy was 1st All Time in Defensive Point Shares
Era: Of the 14 skaters to play in at least 500 games between 1921 and 1937, Clancy is
- 7th in Goals,
- 9th in GPG and PPG,
- 6th in Assists and OPS,
- 8th in APG and Points,
- 1st in DPS and PS,
- 2nd in Games
82-game average: 19G, 21A for 40P
3-year peak (1927-30): 44-game average of 13G, 11A for 24P
Playoffs: 8G, 8A for 16P in 55 games
Adjusted: 247G, 550A for 797P
Adjusted 82-game average: 34G, 76A for 110P
Trades:
- Traded at 27 to the Leafs for Eric Pettinger (26), Art Smith (23) and $35,000 – our 11th Best Maple Leafs Trade of All Time